News and HeadlinesU.S. News

Actions

Preliminary hearing for 3 charged in duck boat accident

Operators of duck boat that sank, killed 17 are citing law from the 1850s to limit their liability
Posted

GALENA, Mo. (AP) — Three men charged after a tourist boat sank and killed 17 people in Missouri in 2018, including nine people from Indianapolis, are in state court for a preliminary hearing to determine if the case will proceed.

The men each face 17 counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. Kenneth McKee was the captain of the duck boat that sank on Table Rock Lake near Branson. He also faces 12 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The other men charged are Curtis Lanham, the general manager of Ride the Ducks in Branson, and Charles Baltzell, who was a manager on duty.

Prosecutors say the boat was sent onto the lake despite warnings that a storm was coming.

Riders from Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Arkansas were killed.